My Happy Ending
by ASinnersLove
Summary: I had a happy beginning, then things got rocky. Moving to Washington wasn't my plan, but it happened, and then things changed. I met him. Who knew that one person could flip someone's world upside down? Jacob/OC
1. AN

Hello :D

Well, this is my first time posting something on fanfic EVER! It's nerve-wracking and terrifying, I wont lie. So please be nice. I'm going to try my hardest to keep updating frequently and consistently. I busted out these first three chapters in two days – call it inspiration :)

So enjoy & please review with suggestions. Oh and if anyone is interested in being a Beta for this story... That would probably be awesome :)


	2. Saying I Love You

My Happy Ending

Chapter One: Saying "I Love You"

**Kinley POV**

You really shouldn't say "I love you" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget. I think that's where my parents went wrong in their marriage. They didn't show their love and affection for one another as often as they should have, and so they both forgot, leaving me stuck in the middle.

My parents, Ethan and Madeline Mattison, met in France on a sunny day stroll around the Eiffel Tower. It was love at first sight, but I don't think love should be at first sight; it should be at every sight. Every time you see that person you should be able to fall in love with them all over again. That's the beauty of love, but that's also the tragedy.

Enabling human-beings with the power of love opens the door to many other hearts. That was the first step that broke my parents' marriage. I blame them both; Mom for falling in love with another man, and Dad for leaving without notice the minute he knew.

It's one thing to divorce your spouse and leave when your child is a teenager, but there is no excuse when she's seven and in dire need of loving, caring parents.

Don't get me wrong, Travis was great to my mother and all, but you can't replace your own flesh and blood with a look-alike. They thought that since I was young enough, I could be molded and shaped to believe that he _was_ my real father and that Ethan Mattison no longer existed.

I wasn't that naïve. They tried for years before finally giving up. I knew who my real father was, and I knew just how easy it was for him to leave us in a time of need. Maybe my mother didn't need him, but I did, and that should have been enough.

Life with Mom was okay – for a while.

It didn't take long before she couldn't handle it, or, at least it didn't feel like long. I made it with Mom until I turned fifteen – eight years – and then she wanted me gone. You could call that the ultimate form of betrayal, because it _was_.

It was because of these life lessons that I learned not to love. Don't ever love something that isn't one hundred percent capable of wanting to, and loving you back. I'm pretty sure that animals are the only organisms fully capable of that. No humans, so avoid them at all costs. And I was going to. I had it all planned out. The day I turned sixteen would be the day that I never looked back.

Emancipation was on the horizon and a beach house in Daytona was calling my name, until I got shipped off to Washington.

When my father left eight years ago, he fled to a small town in Washington called "Forks." According to Mom, he was a big-shot surgeon/oncologist that lived in what was probably the biggest house Forks had ever seen. He drove a brand-new BMW and had a make-shift lab in his basement. _Awesome_.

He picked me up at the only airport near Forks and we drove through town in the very BMW my mom told me about. So there I was, an L.A girl stuck in a one-horse town with too much luggage and a grudge strapped to my back.

The house wasn't so bad, but it was completely out of place. There was no doubt about it that _everyone_ knew where my father lived. It was sort of hard to miss, that big, modern home complete with windowed walls and a not-a-stone-out-of-place driveway.

There were four other cars in the driveway; a black Chrysler SUV, an old blue Mustang, a white Escalade, and a cherry-red Volkswagen bug. The front yard was decorated with potted flowers, pristine cut bushes, and a home-made waterfall.

I wasn't surprised that Dad hadn't said a word since he picked me up. I wasn't really sure if he wanted me there in the first place. It had to be hard for him to see me – a reminder of Mom and his old life. There wasn't a second that passed where I wasn't angry at him for giving me the silent treatment.

We hadn't seen or spoken to each other in eight years. On my birthdays, I was lucky to receive a card with pity cash in it and his signature.

I didn't want to talk to him any more than he wanted to talk to me. There was nothing to talk about. He left when he shouldn't have and I was forced to stay with him – end of story.

A red light went off in my head the second I stepped inside the house. It was definitely _not_ a bachelor's pad – it had a womanly touch – and it smelled like cashmere and scented candles. Inwardly, I braced myself for her. The _other_ woman.

Maybe it was Dad's fault all along, maybe he fell in love first and that urged Mom into finding someone new.

'Honey? Is that you?' My heart stopped altogether. Literally, I could no longer feel it beating while I waited for her appearance.

And that's when he spoke for the first time. I hadn't heard his voice since the day he left on my seventh birthday, and the familiar tone ignited the angry fire in my heart. 'Yep. We're back. What's for dinner?'

_What's for dinner? What's for dinner?_ Was that really all he wanted to say? No introductions? Not that I particularly wanted to meet her in the first place, but seriously? I glared at his back while he strolled off to God-knows-where to meet up with his new woman.

'How is she? Is she angry? I don't want to upset her.' I heard her whisper in the kitchen. _Smart choice. _I thought bitterly. 'Jayden! Can you come down and help move her things to her knew room?'

To top it off, they had a child. Not only was I moving in with the enemy, but the enemy had a wife and kid. "Jayden's" footsteps pounded above my head and then clunked down the stairs each step at a time. It was a mixed sound somewhere between a thunderstorm and a tumbling elephant.

I stayed rooted in my spot with the same, ugly scowl on my face when he came into view. He was tall, muscular, and... dark-skinned? He was darker than I was, meaning he was most definitely Native American. In fact, he was too dark to have been my father's child.

Now, that revelation could have brought relief, but it didn't. I was still angry and I wasn't letting up.

We watched each other carefully. I felt like I was like a panther in that moment, eying my prey so that it wouldn't escape without at least a minor flesh wound. 'You're–'

'The other child. The one he ditched on her seventh birthday for a new family and a new kid? Yeah. That's me.' I said sourly.

His eyes tightened, 'Your room is the last door on the left upstairs.' He brushed passed me and out the front door to the BMW.

I didn't waist time escaping. If I learned anything from my father, it was how to run away when I knew I shouldn't.

The room was elegant and filled with a California King-sized bed and expensive French furniture. I snorted. This was his attempt to make me feel at home, whether that be in France or in California.

There was a quick knock at the door and then the patter of heavy footsteps down the hallway. All my bags were stacked neatly at the door, ready to be unpacked. I laughed inwardly and pulled them all inside. I wasn't planning on unpacking _anything_. The only thing I did unpack was my cell phone and iPod.

Dressed in a pair of shorts, a black t-shirt, and some white Nikes, I quickly walked down the stairs and carefully snuck passed the kitchen. I thought I had made it safely until I heard someone walking up behind me. 'Where are you going?'

'To the beach. It _is_ right there.' I said to my father, pointing to the water crashing against the rocks.

'I don't think so. You need to eat and unpack.'

My poor father. He didn't realize that I no longer viewed him as a parental figure to constantly obey. I gave him a sarcastic look and put my headphones in my ears before I walked off. He didn't try to stop me, at least physically, and I had drowned his voice out with music.

I ducked into the forest behind the house for cover and started walking towards the water.

It was cold in Washington. The air whipped my curls around my face and blew the small grains of sand against my bare legs, but it was comforting. I pulled out my earplugs to listen to the waves. They were like music to my ears – nothing sounded better than the ocean crashing against the rocks, or the seagulls cooing for something to eat.

Technically my father's house straddled the boarder line between Forks and La Push, which might explain why his son was Native American.

I snuck a quick peek back at the house and frowned. They were all there on the back deck, setting up for dinner with smiles on their faces. I had to hand it to my dad though, his wife _was_ beautiful. She had straight dark hair that fell to her shoulder blades and dark almond-shaped eyes.

I shook my head and turned my back to them to focus on the ocean again.

The breeze made the branches shift slightly above my head. This spot was soothing; on a large, flat rock just where the sand met the forest's edge. There were pine needles and twigs mixed in with the beige grains for a few feet before the sand became pure again.

A leaf crunched behind me and I looked in it's direction. Jayden was leaning against a tree with his arms folded over his bare chest, dressed in a pair of cut off jeans; his feet bare. I didn't know what to think of him. My human instincts kicked in, though, and I automatically felt guilty for the way I had spoken to him earlier.

'I'm sorry.' I made a face, 'This is sort of hard for me. I didn't really mean to take it out on you.'

He took a few steps forward. 'Yes you did.' _Ouch_. 'But it's okay. I was the same way when Mom married him.' He sat down next to me and rested his palms on the smooth rock. 'You should give us all a chance, though. We're not as bad as we seem.'

I half-smiled. 'My father is.' I stated simply and then looked back out to the water. 'What's you're Mom's name?'

Jayden sighed and stood up, offering me his hand. 'Why don't you come find out? Dad had her make French food. Something called "Sole Meuniere." Said it's your favorite.'

That one hit home. My stomach clenched and my heart sank as low as it could. _He remembered..._ I wasn't prepared to go soft on him, yet, but I would be able to see things in a new light. I knew I could. He hadn't completely forgotten about me. And if I was mad because I thought he had, then there was no reason to be upset.

But it was more than the fact that I thought he had forgotten. He still left. In the middle of everything that was going on, he had enough nerve to leave. Nothing stings worse than abandonment, except maybe rejection, but they kind of blend together.

I took Jayden's warm hand and let him help me up – a little suspicious by the act – and followed him back to the house.

The deck had an iron-rod glass table with mosaic tile chairs and a wide display of flowers for the center piece. The main dish sat to the side of the flowers along with a salad and a bowl of Rosemary potatoes. I followed Jayden's lead and sat down in front of one of the place mats decorated with silverware.

Dad emerged with wine glasses and two bottles – one of wine and one of grape sparkling cider. He poured two glasses of wine and gave Jayden and I glasses filled with sparkling cider before he sat down at the end of the table.

'Sophie, they're fine in the oven. They have to bake you know.' He called out, his eyes directed to the sliding glass door.

_Sophie. So that's her name._ She appeared on the other side of the door frame with a hot pad and a cookie sheet filled with crepes. She gave my Dad a funny look and set the sheet down on a cooling rack. 'I've learned not to listen to you. Another minute and they would have burned to a crisp.'

_They're good crispy._ I thought to myself, sipping my glass of cider. Sophie sat down across from me and smiled brightly. 'I'm Sophie. It's so good to meet you Kinley.' She reached across the table and patted the back of my hand.

My first instinct was to rip my hand away from her but I coiled that feeling the best I could and sucked up my pride. I smiled politely and nodded and then folded my hands in my lap. 'Should we say grace?'

_Grace? Really? _Who were these people and what did they do to my father? He was _never_ religious. He absolutely loathed the fact that my mother and I prayed before bed every night, and now he was doing it at dinner?

'I'm not feeling very well. I think I'll go to bed.' My appetite was lost. I stood and turned quickly and walked back inside the house contrary to my father's requests that I stay and eat.

I was impatient with the stairs. There were so many stone steps that seemed to spiral upwards forever. I couldn't believe that he was living in a mansion that probably cost more than the Forks' work force made in a year combined.

Big houses and fancy things were trouble.

Lucky for me, my doors had locks _and_ deadbolts to keep my father _out_. I quickly turned both locks and closed the curtains on the French glass double-doors and sank to the floor. This was a disaster. The house was quiet and still for the next half hour before I heard the back doors slide shut.

I jumped up and ran to the window next to my bed and opened it just in time to see Jayden running off into the woods. I was confused but I closed the window and the curtains anyways and took a better look around my new room.

The bed was huge; glorious – and clothed in bright yellow bedding to match the curtains. The walls were painted baby blue with white trim and there were simple hardwood floors. I strolled over to the bookcase and looked through the novels and other books.

There was a lot of Shakespeare and British authors' works. I smiled and looked into the walk-in closet that was large enough to be a small bedroom. Mom had shipped up boxes of clothes and they were now hanging on the racks and folded in the dresser drawers. I frowned. Either Dad or Sophie had unpacked my things already.

After the closet search, I walked into the private bathroom attached to my bedroom. It was a full bath complete with a separate shower and bathtub.

Dad always assumed he could buy his way into people's hearts – at least that's how it felt over the past eight years. Expensive presents and thick wads of cash, but no visits or phone calls. I didn't know what it was he thought I wanted from him, but money definitely was not it.

I strolled over to my bags and unzipped the one that I knew had underwear and pajamas inside and pulled out a nightgown to wear. I shrugged out of my clothes and slipped the nightgown over my curls and then crawled onto the big bed under the covers.

Sleep refused to come. I spent countless hours laying in that bed, staring up at the white ceiling and imagining it covered in painted pictures. My stomach was uneasy. It growled impatiently but I knew that if I ate it would come back up in minutes, so avoiding thinking about food and settled for a bottle of water instead – the next best alternative.

Upon incoherency around the early hours of the morning, I heard a door downstairs shut roughly followed by a howl in the distance. It struck me as odd, but I kept my eyes closed until sleep finally took over.


	3. Falsetto

My Happy Ending

Chapter Two: Falsetto

**Kinley POV**

There are always those days when you feel like you can't get up – or that there is no reason for you to be living. As we struggle to make sense of things, life looks on in response. It's like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up. You can capture the tune, but never the message, and that's because it's different for everyone.

Sometimes two hearts just can't dance to the same beat – like my parents. My father was a slow, more classical piece of work and my mother was an upbeat tempo. You can't mesh two pieces of music like that and get the results everyone wants.

So Mom found another upbeat tempo and Dad found Sophie – whom I didn't know well enough to categorize.

My heart mended over night and re-broke the next morning when I woke up and realized that I hadn't been dreaming the past eight years – they really happened. Mom and Dad _really_ divorced and Dad _really_ left on my seventh birthday. Mom remarried a week before my ninth birthday on August 24th and neither of us knew that Dad had remarried _and_ adopted a child.

I really _was_ taken out of school by sixth grade and hadn't returned to a public school since. I _really_ took frequent trips to the hospital and had to take a pill that defined my life every day. My favorite dog _really_ died and I really _did_ end up in Washington.

The ceiling had my attention all morning. From about 3:00 AM until 7:50 AM when there was a sharp tap on my door.

My eyes flashed from the ceiling to the doors. They seemed so far away – doors always did when you weren't feeling well.

I forced myself out of the plush bed and unlocked the doors.

'Morning, sunshine. Come eat so I can take you out and show you around.' _Jayden. _At this early in the morning, a _teenage boy_ was waking _me_ up. I watched him skeptically.

'What?' He laughed, 'I wake up early. Now hurry up and get ready. We have stuff to do!' He clapped like a drill sergeant and pretended to blow a whistle before he left my doorway.

I smiled. He was so happy and full of energy.

On Jayden's request, I grabbed a set of clothes and showered quickly before putting them on. An hour later I stepped in front of the full-length mirror in my closet. I had put on a pair of dark jeans and a zip-up brown Columbia sweatshirt with my hair in messy blonde curls.

It was looking chilly outside that morning, so I put on the same white Nikes from the day before and climbed down the stairs.

Jayden and Sophie were at the kitchen table, eating French Toast with strawberries. I wondered if they always ate French cuisine or if it was a recent adaptation since I'd arrived. I was headed for the front door to wait for Jayden when a hand came down on my shoulder.

'Can we talk, kiddo? Just for a minute.' _Yeah, just for a minute. Because a minute is all you have for the daughter you haven't seen in eight years. _

I followed him into the living room and stood angrily with my arms folded across my chest. He was dressed in a dark blue suit with a black tie and silver cufflinks – something I didn't think was casual – and had on a pair of fairly expensive Italian shoes.

He noted that I was taking in his appearance and he laughed. 'This isn't what I usually wear. I'm going on a conference trip to New York. I wanted to talk before I left, though.'

Neither of us said anything for the next few minutes, we just watched each other with solemn faces and rapidly beating hearts. I chewed the inside of my lip while I waited for him to say something, but he seemed to be having a hard time with it.

'Listen, I know you're angry–'

'Livid is more like it.' I growled.

He sighed, 'I know. So I figured that while you're here, we would just do your treatments from home to make it easier and less time consuming.'

He really didn't know just how big of a hole he was digging himself. All this talk about time and minutes wasn't doing anything except making me angrier. It proved my theory; he didn't care that I was there and he didn't care for how long, as long as he didn't have to spend too much time with me.

It was like a cold, hard slap in the face. Lucky for him, he would only have to deal with me for another two years and a few months.

'Did you tell them?' I asked coldly, nodding in the direction of the kitchen.

His face dropped. 'No, I didn't. But it's only a matter of time before they find out.'

I shrugged and opened my mouth to reply when Jayden walked in. 'What in the world are you wearing? It's going to be warm today. Go change!' He was waving his arms like a maniac until I left the room and trailed back up the stairs.

As if it were even possible for Washington to be _warm_. I changed into a red silk mini and a black long sleeve that hung off the shoulders before I strapped on some black sandals and walked back down the stairs. Jayden approved my outfit and then rushed me out the door without another word to Dad.

We climbed in the old blue Mustang and Jayden revved the engine a few times before we backed out of the driveway. 'So, where do you want to go?' He asked, eyes on the road.

'I've never been here. I don't know where anything is.' I replied.

He cracked a smile and turned so sharply around the corner that my head hit the passenger window. 'Sorry,' he laughed sheepishly.

As we drove into the town of Forks, I tried to pinpoint what it was exactly that drew my father into this small place. There weren't shopping malls or movie theaters, or even bars. There was a diner, a police station, and a hospital.

Nothing jumped out at me. Sure, the place was cute, but what convinced him that Forks was better than back in L.A with his only daughter? Sophie was the only factor I could come up with. But even then, was her hold on him so strong that he couldn't bother to visit or call?

'What are you thinking about?'

I snapped back into reality and shook my head. 'Nothing, I'm just a little bit tired.'

We passed a group of teenagers that all grinned and started waved at Jayden. He smiled back and we pulled off the main road into the diner's parking lot. 'Are those your friends?' I asked, not bothering to unbuckle myself.

'Sort of.' He smiled, 'Those are my girlfriend's friends.'

I really shouldn't have been surprised – Jayden _was_ good-looking after all – but everything seemed to play out so perfectly for him. He had _my_ father, a mother that loved him, a girlfriend, good looks; the whole package. It was apparent that I was the only one suffering in the family.

Jayden's friends made it across the lot in record speed while Jayden and I climbed out of the car.

'Damn, Jayden. You better not be cheating on Ashlee. But I could understand if you were, this chick's hott.' I was appalled, and apparently so was Jayden.

Jayden hit the guy in the shoulder roughly and growled. 'I wouldn't _ever_ cheat on Ashlee. And this is my sister, so fuck off.'

'Step-sister.' I added all too quickly.

I _almost_ felt bad for putting that look on Jayden's face, but I kept the regret to myself. I didn't come to Forks to build relationships, I came because I had to.

'Yeah, she's right. It's all the same to me, though. Where's Ash?' Jayden recovered smoothly.

'Wait, aren't you going to introduce us to your sister?' One of the girls chimed in.

Jayden looked back and forth between she and I and then said, 'Eh, nah. You guys can meet later. I promised Ashlee she could meet her first.'

I cocked an eyebrow. 'Actually, my name is Kinley. I just moved here from L.A. What are your names?' No one got to decide who _I_ would meet first except me.

'I'm Jessica!' The girl squealed excitedly. 'You really moved here from L.A? Did you see celebrities all the time?'

Jayden didn't look pleased, so naturally, I kept it going. 'Not all the time, but pretty often.' Jessica laughed and flipped her hair. 'I met –'

'Brad Pitt. Yeah, we know. Let's go.' Jayden interrupted, pulling on my arm impatiently.

I went with him willingly, leaving behind the rest of the group I didn't get to meet and Jessica whom was frowning in our direction.

The bells above the door jingled as we stepped inside the cozy diner and brushed our shoes off on the "welcome" mat. A girl came dashing around the corner with two menus in her hands and a pen in her mouth. Her auburn-colored hair was thrown loosely into a messy bun with pieces falling and framing her thin face.

'Oh, hey, Jayden.' The pen fell to the floor and she casually tossed the menus onto the nearby counter. 'I thought someone was coming in to eat. Greta would have flipped if it was someone else.'

He reached out for her and she stepped into his arms perfectly – they were in sync with one another. 'This is Kinley. Kinley, this is my girlfriend, Ashlee.'

Ashlee was beautiful. She had bright green eyes lined with dark eyeliner and thick, long lashes. She was tall, skinny, and all-over perfect. I felt jealous in an instant. 'Hi. I'm happy you're here. Jayden was so excited!' Ashlee said, smiling and then looking up at Jayden's face.

Her comment hit below the belt. Jayden had been excited for my arrival while I had been praying for a freak accident that would keep me away from Forks. Why was I such a selfish person? I frowned a little but quickly replaced it with a smile. 'I'm happy I'm here, too.'

It was only a little lie. It couldn't make much of a difference in their lives. They would be happy together whether I was happy being in Forks or not.

Ashlee set Jayden and I up at a table and put a basket of fries in front of Jayden who ate half of them in less than three minutes. We casually sat around and talked with Ashlee when she had time until Jayden decided to leave. I watched them kiss each other – though it felt so intimate and beautiful that I almost looked away – and walked outside.

'We're gonna go to La Push next. It's heating up and my friends are at the beach.' Jayden said, starting the car and peeling out of the diner's driveway.

La Push wasn't what I quite imagined, either. It was hardly any different from Forks aside from the fact that most of the La Push residents were Quileute. The buildings were built almost the same way and the same kinds of cars were on the streets. It was like Forks and La Push harmonized.

Half of La Push was forest, and the other half was split between the beach and the actual town itself. Almost every store had some totem pole in it's vicinity and there were beautiful wolf carvings everywhere. La Push had it's own, homey touch.

The beach close to the town was nice, but nothing beat the beach in my backyard. In town, the sand was more like pebbles and the shore was littered with residents. It still had it's charm, though.

I left my sandals in the Mustang and pushed my bare feet into the cool sand. Jayden ditched his shirt and locked up the car, leading me away from the parking lot and further down the beach. 'They should be around here somewhere. We won't have to do too much walking.'

'Walking is cool.' I told him, gently kicking up sand as I followed him.

Their booming laughter was hard to miss as we closed in on them. In fact, they themselves were hard to miss. I'd never seen so many large guys in one place at the same time. All of them were huge – like Jayden – build _and_ height-wise.

If it weren't for their smiles, I was sure I would have turned and walked the other way. They were all a little intimidating.

Jayden strolled up casually and did one of those awkward "one-arm-man-hugs" with one of the other guys and then turned and grinned. 'Come over here, Kinley. These are my boys. Don't worry, they don't bite!'

'Speak for yourself.' One of the guys snickered, cockily hitting another one in the arm.

An entire second passed before Jayden had the guy pinned in the sand. 'Paul, could you not act like a fucking idiot for one minute? I realize that it's hard for you, but just try.'

I couldn't hold back the giggle that slipped passed my lips. The look on Paul's face and what Jayden had said rolled together perfectly. I found myself _really_ laughing in a matter of seconds; so hard that my stomach began to hurt.

'Guys this is Kinley. My sister. These douche bags are Paul, Embry, and Jared.' I contained my laughter long enough to shake their hands and suck in a few much-needed breaths before the giggles hit again.

'I'm sorry – ha ha – but that was so funny.' I spat out through the laughter.

Jayden rolled his eyes and then started pushing me back to the car. 'See you later, douche-brains.'

'What? You're taking her away already?' Paul called out with a frown.

'You better fuckin' believe it. You're bad for her. Dad will kill me if I let you corrupt her.' My laughter stopped as if on command, my legs following it.

Dad really had this whole place wrapped around his finger. He had his "kid" picking and choosing my friends and had his wife going out of her way to make French cuisine for meals. It made me sick.

'I'll walk home.' I snapped, ripping myself away from him.

And I did walk home, and it was the longest, loneliest walk I'd ever taken.


	4. Superman

My Happy Ending

Chapter Three: Superman

**Kinley POV**

Anger is one letter short of danger. For every minute you're angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness. If that's true, then so far, I've lost a lifetime. I spent so much time being angry, and so many days hating my father for what he did to me. My mom used to say, 'Hate is only misguided love.' In reality, she was the only one misguiding it. Soon enough, my heart had a wild capacity to hate and no room for love.

Every night, though, I prayed. I prayed that God would help evaporate all the anger and hate in my heart. God always answers our prayers, but sometimes the answer is no. And I'd been receiving that answer for a very long time.

I knew why. It was a test – one that I had been miserably failing for as long as I could remember. What was it exactly that He wanted? For me to forgive – and I could _not_ do that. Not for a while, anyway.

The people around me always seemed to suffer from my cynical moods. I realized – the week after the move – that that had to be the reason Mom sent me away. Who was I to impose on a happy, healthy relationship with my derisive attitude? That wasn't fair to Mom or her new beau. But at least while I was suffering, she was back in L.A, happy with her husband and my stepfather.

I couldn't decide exactly whether that made me happy, or angry. I thought that as a parent, your child was supposed to come first. But maybe that was just the selfishness in me. I'd seemed to be displaying a lot of it lately.

I didn't come out of my room that day when I made it back to my father's house from La Push. I knew that if I did, I would say something that I would regret later. Thinking back on it now, I didn't really care if I was going to regret it, I wished I had come out and said something to them.

It didn't have to be anything specific. Just something to get my feelings across, but I'd passed up the opportunity.

I spent the next two days in my room to the best of my ability, sneaking out only twice for a piece of toast with raspberry jelly and a glass of water. Both nights I had heard Jayden's departure from and return to the house. He wasn't as stealthy as he thought he was. I was sure he was leaving to see Ashlee, but if I believed in love, then I'm sure I would have done the same thing.

On the third day, I was stir-crazy. I _had_ to get out of the house, and I didn't have any extent as to how to do it. All I knew was that if I spent one more day in that room, I would have to pull my hair out or break something.

I showered quickly and dressed even more so in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. The weather around Forks was heating up regularly and so called for lesser amounts of clothing. In my defense I did put on a black string bikini beneath my clothes, in case it was warmer outside than I had guessed.

The house was quiet as I snuck down the stairs, shoes in hand. Sophie and Jayden's cars weren't in the driveway, so I was in the clear. My stomach growled impatiently, though, leading me into the kitchen for a snack. I internally apologized for abusing it – stress shrank my appetite, no matter how hungry I was.

After I had eaten, I put my shoes on and checked my hair in the bathroom mirror. It was done simply, with a little glitter and my bangs pulled back out of my face. The glitter was something my mother had started when I was young. The special occasion? My sixth birthday – a princess themed party that required many sparkly things and beautiful tiaras. The glitter just stuck, I suppose.

It was noon when I left the house. The sun was high and there wasn't a cloud in sight from where I stood on the stone patio. My shoes clicked down each stone step until I hit the pavement and started walking towards La Push. At the time, La Push seemed to be the easier place to spend time. If I was lucky, everyone would think I was a tourist and wouldn't ask me thousands of questions about my new "family."

People lined the streets when I finally made it into town fifteen minutes later. Everyone in La Push looked so happy and content with each other. I was envious. I wanted that; that happiness. Why was it so hard for me to reach?

That was a stupid question. I had grown stubborn and vile to all things happy – aside from animals; they wouldn't rub it in your face when they were having a good day.

As if it were fate, I happened to cross a small pet store along my route to the beach. I pushed open the door and looked around inside. The wall to the left was lined with small critters and cages for them. There were a lot of mice and a few hamsters and one guinea pig.

There were wooden pens in the back corner, but they were empty. The whole shop seemed to be empty apart from the rodents.

_Maybe the owner is on break in the back._ I thought to myself, exiting the shop and continuing my walk to the beach. Surprisingly, things seemed to calm as I neared the shore. There were less people at the beach than I would have thought on a beautiful day.

It didn't upset me; I wasn't one for confrontation.

I pulled off my shoes and carried them as I walked along the water's edge. The cool waves spilled over my toes and every now and then, my ankles. The water wasn't as cold as I expected it to be, either. Washington was full of surprises.

Down the beach a little further, I stopped at an old wooden log and climbed on top of it. The water crashed around it beautifully and soundly.

'Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not safe to play on beach logs?' _Hello, liquid sex._

As if in slow motion, I turned and found myself looking into the eyes of one of the most beautiful men I'd ever come across. He had a sly smile on his face and an old cell phone clutched in one of his hands. I was momentarily stunned by his beauty.

He took a step forward. 'I mean, I've never been a parent, but I'm sure they don't normally want their child smashed underneath a 200 pound log.'

I smiled a little bit and shrugged my shoulders. 'You would be surprised by some of the parents these days.' _Yes, directed straight at mine._

He was hard to tear my eyes away from – but his never left me either, so I didn't feel as self conscious as I might have normally. He reminded me a lot of Jayden and the other guys on the beach, only he was taller and slightly more muscular. I could literally count the swells of his eight-pack.

'I haven't ever seen you around here. Do you normally put your life in danger while on vacation?' He took another step closer.

I bit my lip. 'Do you normally approach random girls and question them about their personal lives?'

He grinned. 'Only when I'm feeling like Superman and can see that she needs saving.'

He was really laying it on thick. I'd never been spoken to so boldly by a guy before – mostly because I didn't hold up a conversation long enough for him to try – but it still shook my bones a little.

I managed to smile back. His caramel eyes lightened, beckoning me forth, and I couldn't say no. The first two steps towards the end of the log were clean and well-footed. Too bad I couldn't say the same for the third. The log was a bit more slippery than I had anticipated, and slippery things didn't help the uncoordinated.

I ended up ass in the ocean with a nasty cut down my forearm and sore ribs. He was at my side in an instant and helped me to my traitorous feet. 'Jeeze, I knew you were going to fall.' He said regrettably.

'Well, Superman, why didn't you use your super-human powers to keep me from falling?' I retorted playfully, holding my hand over the cut on my arm. He ripped off some of his shirt and tied it tightly over the cut to stop the bleeding.

He sighed lightly, 'Maybe you're my Kryptonite.'

My breath caught in my throat. I had _not_ been expecting that sort of reply. Clearly, he sensed my lack of comfort and led me away from the beach log and away from the water. 'C'mon. We'll go back to my house so I can wrap your arm, okay?'

Dilemma: go with the bold, sexy stranger and get my arm wrapped, or go with the bold, sexy stranger and end up like a case of Law and Order: SVU. Now, he didn't _look_ like a psycho murderer/rapist, but small-town guys will fool you.

I decided to chance it and followed him on foot to his house. Barefoot, of course, because I had managed to throw my shoes ten feet into the ocean during my fall.

Superman and I walked in silence for the most part – well, he walked, I power-walked – until we finally came across his homey, red house in the middle of a circular clearing in the woods. It had character, sitting there in the middle of the field next to a slightly smaller shed.

'It's not much. It's only for my Dad and I, but it's home.' He said as we crossed the threshold into his house.

'It's actually great. Much better than my place.' I argued, looking around the small living room we were standing in now. 'So, where is your dad at?' I asked. When there was no answer, I looked around – confused – at the now empty living room.

_Probably went to get ropes and the biggest knife he can find_. I shivered.

'He's over in Forks at his buddy's house. Nice, big flat screen.' He came back into the living room with some gauze and an Ace bandage – thank God – and pushed me towards the couch. 'Here, sit down. It will be easier for me to wrap it if you're comfortable.'

I found myself almost unable to breathe as I sat on the stranger's couch. His large hands were so warm and so gentle, yet they sent shocks through my body when our skin touched. I don't think he knew the effect he was having on me. On second thought, I didn't know _why_ he was having any effect on me in the first place.

He cleared his throat and tightened the bandage around my forearm. 'There. Is that too tight?'

'No.' I said, shaking my head with a small smile.

Our eyes met and for once in my life, I wasn't the first person to tear them away. We watched each other for what felt like hours, when in reality it had only been minutes. As corny as it sounded, I felt like he could see straight into my soul, and I was searching to see into his.

'I'm Jacob.' He interrupted my soul-searching with another happy grin.

I had to smile back. Superman had another name, and it wasn't Clark Kent. 'Kinley. I just moved here a few days ago.'

'Jayden's sister?' He asked with furred eyebrows.

'Stepsister, but yes.'

His emotions were hard to pinpoint. 'Jayden's cool.' He replied smoothly, standing up and offering me his hand. I took it eagerly, wanting to feel the warmth of his hands again, and stood up as slowly as possible. 'I'll drive you home. I should probably explain what happened to Jayden, so he doesn't try to tear my balls off.'

I snorted and followed Jacob out of the house and to his small, Volkswagen Rabbit. 'How in the world do you even fit in this? It's tiny.'

'Not without great difficulty, believe me.' He laughed and unlocked the passenger-side door and held it open for me. 'I'm shopping for something bigger. I'll probably keep this one though, because I built it myself, but I can't keep driving it.'

He shut the door and strolled to the driver's side and climbed in, cramming his legs beneath the steering wheel and sitting low in the seat so he didn't have to crane his neck. I couldn't help but giggle a little bit. It was almost like those shows in the circus when ten big clowns would climb out of a little car.

'Do you ever try to fit a bunch of your friends in here, and then climb out in front of people for entertainment?' I asked, feeding off my clown-thought.

Jacob's eyebrow rose. 'Are you kidding? _I_ can barely fit in here. There's no way any more of us could get in.'

_Point taken, Superman_. 'We could have walked, you know. It only took me fifteen minutes to get to the beach from my Dad's house.' I pointed out, twiddling my thumbs in my lap.

'You had shoes then, and I didn't think you would let me piggyback you all the way there.'

'Touche.' I laughed.

Before I knew it, we were back at my Dad's place and _all _of the cars were in the driveway – including my father's. 'Great.' I sighed unhappily, unbuckling myself from Jacob's car and climbing out. I could hear them on the back porch again, setting up for dinner.

The front door opened and my father burst out with an angry look on his face – at _first_. He glared at me, but his face softened when he noticed I had company. 'Jacob! How's it goin' kid?' My father asked enthusiastically, patting Jacob on the shoulder.

I was in shock. _I_ got glared at, and Jacob got a friendly pat on the back. 'Are you staying for dinner tonight? Sophie made Lasagna.'

'Yeah, sure.' Jacob replied with a smile.

_Shock times two._ I shook my head in disbelief and my mouth parted slightly on it's own accord. 'You guys have met?' My father looked at me and then grinned back at Jacob.

'We sure have. Jake's been good friends with Jayden since I can remember.'

_Well as if that's not the icing on top of the cake. Perfect._ 'Awesome.' I growled sarcastically, making a beeline straight for the front door, leaving my father and Jacob behind.

Once I shut the front door, I took off running to my room.

Everything in Washington was absolutely ridiculous. It was ridiculous that I had to live there. It was ridiculous that Jayden was living _my_ perfect life. It was ridiculous how beautiful Jacob was and it was _especially_ ridiculous that my father was in better graces with him than he was with me.

I slammed the doors to my room so hard that they shook in the frame and I quickly locked them. I trailed over to one of the windows and looked out over the back patio. Sophie had the table set and was adding a fifth place mat to her expensive table and my father and the boys were chatting happily in the grass.

My stomach churned uncomfortably when Jacob suddenly looked up and met my eyes. I was frozen in place; unable to look away because of the hold his gaze had on me.

Jayden elbowed Jacob in the arm and only then – when Jacob turned his attention to Jayden – could I look away and move from the window. It was pathetic the way I felt in that moment – so powerless and vulnerable. I had managed to avoid boys my entire life, but I didn't _want_ to avoid Jacob.

I jumped at the knock on my door and sucked in a deep, surprised breath. 'Who is it?'

'It's Sophie. Is it okay if I come in?' _No, it's not okay, because the door is locked._ I took my time walking to the doors and unlocking them to let Sophie in.

She stood there beautifully in my doorway, looking like a Native American model wearing a white sundress. My gut dropped. She had one of those determined looks in her eyes and she didn't look like she was backing down.

'You're bleeding through that bandage.' She pointed at my arm and went into my bathroom, returning with some ointment and a new bandage. 'Oh my. What did you do? This is a nasty cut – I think it might need stitches.' I groaned audibly.

How many times had I had stitches? Twenty-seven. How many _actual_ stitches had I received over my lifespan of fifteen – almost sixteen – years? Over a thousand. _A thousand._ What sort of child gets into _that_ much trouble, that needs _that_ many stitches?

'Ethan! Ethan, come up here please!' Sophie yelled, her body angled slightly towards the doors. She grabbed my elbows gently and pulled my into the hallway. 'Kinley needs stitches. Should I bring her down?'

If it wasn't bad enough that Jacob was spending time with my dysfunctional family, on top of it I needed stitches.

I followed my father into the basement – a makeshift lab like Mom had said – and sat down on a stool. He rummaged through drawers and cabinets until I saw that curséd thread and needle in his hands, next to the injection.

My heart pounded roughly against my chest. Dad looked up – as if he heard – and his face dropped.

'Don't look at me like that, Kinley.' He said softly, setting his tools down on a tray and rolling it towards me.

I swallowed hard. 'Like what?' My voice cracked a little and I averted my eyes.

He sighed heavily. 'Like that. You always look so scared.'

'I _am_ scared.' I replied angrily. 'Just get this over with please. I don't feel so good. I'm going to bed early.'

He didn't argue with me. In fact, he didn't even reply. I closed my eyes throughout the process; the shot, the stitches, and the bandaging. When he was done, my gut dropped as I realized that Jacob was just upstairs. I couldn't face him – not then.

So I left Superman hanging that night. He expected dinner with my father's family and I, but I couldn't do that much for him. I wanted to, badly, but a part of me knew better. I couldn't be selfish.


	5. Never Underestimate

**(I don't own anything Twilight, but I wish Jacob Black was real and lived in my bedroom.)**

My Happy Ending

Chapter Four: Never Underestimate

**Kinley POV**

_Love. _Love is what we were born with. _Fear. _Fear is what we learned here. I never really thought much about my fears. At a young age I learned that fears were a part of life and that you should ignore them until you're able to move past them.

As of recently, I was having a hard time with that philosophy.

I never felt more afraid than I did when I realized that my heart ached during the time I spent away from Jacob. Love at first sight? I never believed in it – until I spent over a week away from him. Jacob didn't come by the house. I didn't stop by La Push. I felt like a piece of me was missing. Maybe I just enjoyed his company, or when I was the reason for his perfect smile – who knows? I knew one thing, though, and that was that I _had_ to see him.

Exactly one week, three days, and sixteen-hundred hours to the day I met Jacob, I left my house and headed for La Push. Dressed in a pair of bright yellow track shorts and a plain black t-shirt, I crept out the front door – as I usually did – and started my walk to La Push.

What was I supposed to say to him when I got there? "Oh, hey, sorry I ditched you after my abandoning father invited you to dinner. Want to hang out?" _Please_. As if that made any sense at all.

I back-tracked to the beach and followed the same paths to Jacob's house that we had taken that day. I stopped in my tracks along the forest's edge, close enough to see his house but not be seen from it. I felt like a stalker, and if Jacob knew why I was going to visit him, he would probably think the same thing. I didn't falter, though. I forced my legs to keep walking no matter how bad they trembled or how often I stumbled due to the nervousness. There was a point when I almost turned around.. _Almost_. But there was something about him that made it hard to turn away, so I kept going until I found myself on his doorstep, knocking on the plank of wood that separated us.

It swung open moments later – but no Jacob. Instead, there was a man with dark hair to his chest, sitting in a wheelchair with a confused look on his face. 'Can I help you?'

_Jacob's father._ It had to be; the resemblance was blatant. They had the same caramel eyes and thick dark hair, only Jacob's was cut short and his father's hung long. 'Uhm. I'm Kinley. I just moved in a few weeks ago. Is Jacob home by any chance?' I asked timidly.

His father's face lifted into a bright smile – _Jacob's_ smile – and he opened the door wider. 'Come on in. Jacob went to the store to pick up something for dinner. I hope you like homemade pizza – it's about the only thing he can make.'

'I don't want to intrude.' I told him, 'Could you just let Jacob know I stopped by?'

'Nonsense.' He replied, 'Jacob will be upset if I let you go without introducing myself and inviting you to stay for dinner. Please, come in.'

Reluctantly, I took the vaguely familiar step into Jacob's home. Everything was exactly as I had seen it before; not a table turned or a book out of place. 'I'm Billy Black; Jacob's father.' I shook the hand he extended immediately and smiled.

'I'm Kinley Mattison.'

Billy rolled backwards a bit and then tilted his head to the side. 'Jayden's sister, right?'

Was I not allowed to have a name that wasn't attached to Jayden in some way, shape, or form? It seemed like everyone in this good-for-nothing town knew Jayden and/or my father. I bit my lip. 'Yeah. He's my stepbrother.' I replied lamely.

'Jake and Jayden have been good friends for quite some time. They didn't get along great when they were younger, but things shaped up after a few years.' Billy rolled down the small ramp into the living room and situated himself next to the very couch Jacob wrapped my arm on. 'Come sit down. Make yourself comfortable. I hope you don't mind baseball. I can't get enough.'

It was easier than I thought it would be to sit down next to Billy Black and glue my eyes to the TV. The Mariners were playing, down by three but there was still enough time in the game for them to come back – at least that's what Billy noted. 'You see, with baseball you never really know how the game will end.' He said pointedly. 'I've seen a team come back after spectators said it was impossible. Kinley, _never_ underestimate the impossible, okay? Unsinkable ships sink and unbreakable walls break. Nothing is ever for certain.'

His words rang in my ears. _Nothing is ever for certain_. Take that as you may, but it didn't sound like a good thing to me. I thought about it a little longer, and Billy was right. Nothing really ever is for certain. The only thing guaranteed in life is death. Marriages can end and relationships can be shattered, that's just how life is. The harsh reality of the world.

The doorknob twisted roughly and the front door flew open, hitting the nearby wall slightly as I watched Jacob's massive form fill the entryway.

'Yo, old man! Can you shut the door? I can't see anything.' He kicked his shoes off at the door and blindly made his way into the kitchen where I heard the bags slam down on the counter. 'Dad!' He yelled again, stepping back into the entryway and pushing the door shut. I held my breath as he turned around and looked immediately into my eyes. 'Kinley. What are you doing here?'

Billy rolled towards Jacob and hit him firmly in the side. 'That's no way to talk to our guest. I invited her to stay for dinner.'

Jacob grinned. 'I was just surprised to see you.' He explained, 'Come into the kitchen with me.'

I stood up in seconds and followed him – just like a kitten – into the kitchen where the groceries were spilling onto the counter. 'Sorry I just showed up.' I said, nervously twirling a blonde curl around my finger. 'I felt bad about the other week. It's not really something I'm proud of.'

Jacob pulled out the cutting board and tossed a pile of dough onto it and began kneading it with his hands. 'It's not a big deal. How's your arm?'

'Okay.' I laughed, glancing at the half-healed cut on my forearm.

'I feel sort of guilty about that.' Jacob admitted, opening the fridge and pulling out a can of pizza sauce and some shredded cheese. I looked at him curiously, 'You didn't push me off the log. I was up there on my own.'

He cracked a smile and looked me in the eye. 'C'mon, you can't say my sexy, hot body and looks didn't distract you, therefor making you lose your footing and fall.' I stared at him blankly before we both starting laughing. If there was one thing easy to do around Jacob, it was smiling. 'I'm kidding, I'm kidding.' He chuckled. I continued to giggle softly while Jacob began placing pepperonis over the cheese. 'Do you like olives and peppers?' He asked, his finger wrapped around the fridge handle.

I nodded and he pulled open the fridge and grabbed a green pepper and a knife off the counter. He looked like a natural in the kitchen the way everything came to him so smoothly and effortlessly. I watched him until he was finished adding ingredients and had put the pizza in the heated oven.

'Do you want to go on a walk while it's cooking?' He looked at me curiously and headed into the living room with me at his heels.

I slipped my shoes back on and smiled at him. 'As long as you don't let me fall off anymore logs, then I think a walk should be safe.'

A walk _should _be safe, but that definitely doesn't mean that it _is_. During Jacob's and my walk, I tripped three times, got stung by a bee in the center of my palm, _and_ bit my tongue so hard it drew blood. We hurried back to Jacob's house where he put some ointment on my palm and lightly wrapped it before giving me some oral numbing gel. The two times I was near Jacob, he ended up taking care of me. That wasn't exactly the way I wished things had gone.

'Are you used to getting hurt this much?' Jacob asked.

I frowned slightly and nodded, but then smiled at him. 'What can I say? I'm a hazard to myself. A force not to be reckoned with.' I joked playfully.

We decided to watch TV – since anything that didn't involve sitting on a couch seemed to be dangerous – until dinner was ready. I helped Jacob set the table for he, Billy, and I and then made some lemonade to drink instead of having soda. Jacob and I sat across from each other with Billy in between us and began eating. Once you picked off the slightly burnt parts of the crush, Jacob's pizza was delicious.

'So, Jacob, did you invite Kinley to the council bonfire this weekend?' Billy asked, taking a large bite of pizza and then washing it down with some lemonade.

I looked from Billy to Jacob curiously. There was nothing quite like a parent putting their child on the spot. Mom used to do that to me when she first married Travis. It eventually died down, but my face still turns red every time Travis brings it up. 'I was going to, but you sort of beat me to it, Dad.' Jacob said sarcastically with a grin. He turned to face me and smiled even bigger. 'Do you want to come? You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable, but Jayden will be there. And I can introduce you to my friends.'

'If you're friends with Jayden then you're friends with Paul, Embry, and Jared, right?' I asked curiously, wiping my slightly greasy fingers on a napkin.

Jacob's eyebrows furred. 'You've met them already?'

I nodded and put my dirty napkin on my now-empty plate. 'Jayden introduced me to them a little while ago. They're funny.'

He laughed. 'Yeah, they're good buddies. Did you want to come then? To the bonfire?'

I chewed my lip. 'This might sound shallow, but are white people allowed to go to them? If they're council meetings, then aren't those conserved for the reservation only?'

Jacob and Billy exchanged looks and then broke into hysterical laughter.

'White people? Kinley _you're_ _barely_ white at all. You're almost as dark as we are. The only thing that throws it off is the blonde hair and blue eyes.' Jacob managed to sputter through his laughter. 'Trust me. "White" people are definitely allowed if we invite them.' He added with a smile.

I smiled back at him and nodded. 'Okay, I'll go.'

'Great,' Billy interrupted, 'I'll let Emily, Sue, and Sophie know to make a little extra food for the night.' He piled his dishes onto his lap and then rolled into the kitchen after graciously taking mine and Jacob's as well.

Jacob and I retired back to the living room to watch _Family Guy_ on the TV for a while before I decided I needed to leave. 'I think I need to go home. It's getting dark outside.' I announced, forcing myself off the couch and to the front door.

'I'll drive you.' Jacob said. 'It's not safe for a girl to walk home alone when it's dark outside.'

_Always a gentleman._ Well, at least he had been the two times we hung out. I stepped out the front door into the cool mid-summer air and took a deep breath. The air around Jacob's home smelled like the beach, mixed with the piney scent of the forest. I took one last deep breath and then walked carefully to Jacob's car, giggling quietly as I watched him stuff himself into it.

The drive was short and quiet for the most part. When we pulled into the driveway, my heart dipped in my chest. Something was off. The cars were parked neatly – _too _neatly – and the garage doors were wide open, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a little, pink tricycle. 'On second thought, I don't think I want to stay home after all. Let's go to the beach.' I said quickly, pleadingly to Jacob.

Jacob opened his mouth, but it wasn't his voice that I heard. It was my _father's_.

'Kinley Rae Mattison.' _Shit. I'm fucked._ I thought to myself, slowly turning around to face my angry father. 'Where the hell have you been all day? I've called you thirteen times. No answer. Jacob, I'm sorry, but I think you need to leave for the night.'

'No –'

'Yes sir.' Jacob interrupted me and gave my father a slight nod. 'It was good seeing you again. Tell Jayden the bonfire starts at seven on Friday.' My father nodded curtly and I watched Jacob sink back inside of his car. He gave me a small smile before he pulled out of the driveway and disappeared around the corner.

I swallowed roughly and met eyes with my father. 'I was with Jacob.' _Way to go, Caption Obvious. As if he didn't figure that one out on his own, stupid._ 'I left my phone at home. I didn't mean to stay the entire day.' I added.

My father sighed and threw his hands into the air dramatically. 'That would have been useful to know before you left at the ass-crack of dawn, Kinley.' He said angrily, 'Today was a very important day for this family and we couldn't even get a hold of you.'

_Important?_ 'Uhm.. Was it someone's birthday?' I asked stupidly. I hadn't the slightest clue of why the day was supposedly so important. 'Because I can run into town and get a card. They sell Hallmark's right?'

'Not funny.' He replied, his eyes dark with anger. 'Get inside. There's someone you need to meet.'

_Flashing red lights. Get the hell out of there._ I turned to run the other way, but my father grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me the other way. 'You aren't running away from this. I've been lenient since you've arrived but it's time I set some ground rules.' When exactly was it that my father decided he could tell me what to do?

'Oh sure, _now_ you want to set ground rules. You know, now that I've gone eight years without listening to a single word from you.' I spat, slamming the door behind me as I did. Following the sound of the door slam, I heard a very loud, very unfamiliar, high-pitched squeal. My eyes flashed angrily to my father. 'You didn't.' I growled menacingly.

I ripped my arm from his grasp and stomped in the direction of the squeal – the family room. Sitting in the middle of the white plush carpeted floor, surrounded by pink blankets and toys, was a little blonde haired girl with tanned skin and pigtails. She looked exactly like I did when I was younger. My throat dried and my heart felt like it had dropped into my stomach. Sophie looked up at me with a bright smile, and nonchalantly said, 'This is Arista. We just adopted her from France.'

_Done._ In a flash, everything changed. My anger towards this family turned into pure hatred in a matter of seconds. 'You. Adopted. A. Kid?' I enunciated each word clearly, my voice dripping with venom. 'Comment pourriez-vous me faire ça?' My anger clouded my head, I hadn't realized that I had now slipped into my native tongue.

'Kinley, we didn't do this to upset you.' My father replied innocently.

I shook my head. 'Non, vous ne parvenez pas à faire semblant, comme vous vous inquiétez. Je suis dépassé ce stade maintenant.' Sophie looked between my father and eye with confused eyes.

'Calmez-vous. Parlons de l'extérieur. Nous n'avons pas à parler en face de Sophie et Arista.' My dad said more sternly.

'Sophie présent, Sophie cela. Est-elle tout ce que vous préoccupent? Combien d'années ai-je passer seul sans père alors elle s'imprègne de tout votre temps? Vous n'avez même pas eu le temps d'un coup de téléphone de mon anniversaire! Je parie que Jayden avait une balle de passer du temps avec sa mère et Mon père sur son anniversaire.' By the end of my rant, I was gone. I pushed passed my father in a haze and rushed out the front door. The summer night was bitter, and the cold bit at my arms and legs, but I refused to go back inside.

My jumbled thoughts raced through my mind like a NASCAR race in Indiana. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly. I felt sick to my stomach. I circled the house carefully until I stood beneath my bedroom windows, which I left unlocked. I checked my surroundings and then stepped onto the drainpipe. When it didn't break underneath my weight, I used all of the strength I had to climb up the pipe and quietly enter my room. I immediately grabbed my phone and an old gymnastics sweatshirt and made my way back to the window.

I planted my feet on the drainpipe and the moment my feet hit the ground once again, I was gone. I pulled the sweatshirt over my head and unlocked my phone as I quickly walked away from the traitor's house. There were fifteen missed calls and seven text messages waiting for me as I turned the corner to the main road from their driveway. I scrolled through them impatiently. They were all from my father, aside from one – _my mother_.

Without a second thought, I pressed the call button and put the phone to my ear.

'Hey, sweetie. How have you been?' Mom asked after the third ring.

I didn't reply right away. I hadn't talked to Mom since I started staying at my father's house. She hadn't made a move to call, and I was too angry at her for sending me away to call her myself. 'I don't know if I can answer that, Mom. I'll tell you one thing, though. I hate you for sending me to live here. I hope you realize that.' I said quietly.

The line was quiet on the other side. I knew she was thinking of a way to console me. Mom never was very good at making me feel better, but at least she was _there_. That was more than my father could say.

'Honey, I know you're upset with me, but this was for the best. If you're father didn't care about you, why would he agree to let you move in with him?' Mom asked. I could hear Travis in the background cheering on his favorite team – the Raiders – on the TV, and the sink was running – so I assumed Mom was doing the dishes. My mother and her beau enjoyed doing mundane tasks at weird times.

I sighed into the phone. 'Mom, it's not just _him_ here. Did you know that? Did you know that he has a new wife and a kid? No – _two_ kids now. I came home to a second adopted child. I can't stay here, Mom. You have to come get me.' I pleaded. 'Please let me come home.'

I fought the tears that were suddenly threatening to spill down my cheeks. The sun had set and I was now walking along the road in the dark. It didn't feel any different; it still felt forbidden and unfamiliar. I felt like a stranger in Washington. Someone normal would have made friends in two weeks, but not me. The only person I could consider a friend was Jacob.

_Jacob_. My heart ached in my chest. It felt like someone had kicked me. I panicked into the phone. 'Mom, please. I need to come home. Please come get me.'

'Kinley Rae.' _Not again_. 'You have to actually give Washington a chance before you decide that you don't like it. Be adventurous, Kinley. Go out and make friends, have fun, party like the other kids your age do. This is all a part of being a teenager. You're supposed to hate your parents.' I knew where that speech came from. _Analyzing Your Teen_. Some lame book she picked up from a Barnes & Noble.

She was starting to get on my nerves. 'You can't throw me in the same category as the teenagers in your book, Mom. I've never been a normal kid, am I the only one that sees that?' I asked impatiently. 'I'm going now, Mom. I don't know when I'll talk to you again, seeing as you haven't called until now.' With that, I hung up on my mother. The one person that stuck with me until two weeks ago.

I pulled the hoodie of my sweatshirt tight around my neck to preserve warmth as I continued my walk down the road and before I knew it, I was in La Push, standing in the ocean with my shoes on. It seemed safer that way.

The moon and stars reflected off the dark water – it was beautiful. The beaches back in California weren't nearly as pretty – there were too many city lights that fought off the stars where I lived. I walked a little deeper into the ocean, so that my knees were beneath the chilled water. It gave me goosebumps.

'Why do I always find you at the ocean when you're in a life threatening circumstance?' _Jacob_.

I didn't waste time walking out of the water and throwing my arms around his waist. I wasn't sure what possessed me to do it, but I felt immediate comfort when his arms wrapped firmly around me and he hugged me tightly against his chest. 'Why are you crying?' He asked softly.

Automatically, I sniffled and squeezed my eyes tight, pushing the lingering tears down my face. I wasn't sure at what point I started crying, but when Jacob mentioned it, I started sobbing into his chest. His _bare_ chest. My tears rolled down his chest and soaked my sweatshirt, but I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was being in Jacob's arms.

**Translations **

_Done._ In a flash, everything changed. My anger towards this family turned into pure hatred in a matter of seconds. 'You. Adopted. A. Kid?' I enunciated each word clearly, my voice dripping with venom. 'How could you do this to me?' My anger clouded my head, I hadn't realized that I had now slipped into my native tongue.

'Kinley, we didn't do this to upset you.' My father replied innocently.

I shook my head. 'No, you don't get to pretend like you care. I'm past that stage now.' Sophie looked between my father and eye with confused eyes.

'Calm down. Let's talk outside. We don't have to talk in front of Sophie and Arista.' My dad said more sternly.

'Sophie this, Sophie that. Is she all you care about? How many years did I spend alone without a father while she soaked up all of your time? You didn't even have the time for a phone call on my birthdays! I bet Jayden had a ball spending time with his mother and _my_ father on _his_ birthdays!' By the end of my rant, I was gone. I pushed passed my father in a haze and rushed out the front door. The summer night was bitter, and the cold bit at my arms and legs, but I refused to go back inside.

**Well, there's chapter four. It took me a little longer than I hoped to get it out, but I finally did! What do you guys think? The last section there is the French roughly translated. I'm using an online translator so I really couldn't tell you if it's correct or not xD **

**please review! Or don't, that's cool, too. (: **


	6. Not Everything Will be Okay

**Hey guys :) I don't own Twilight or any of the characters in the saga. I only own the ones I made up, and I'm pretty proud of them. Also, the second half of the first paragraph is from my favorite movie EVER. Little Black Book. I did not come up with it myself. Just sayin'.**

My Happy Ending

Chapter Five: Nothing Everything Can be Okay

**KPOV**

Sometimes, I wished I was a little kid again. Skinned knees were much easier to fix than broken hearts. And when you're young, you don't understand what a broken heart is, so when my father left, I mistook it for simple sadness. A clean break is better. You can reset it, and it heals. But if you leave things messy, or things don't get put back right, then it just hurts. Forever.

Forever is supposed to be a long time. I never wanted to spend forever being angry at my father – or hating him like I did now. Especially since _my_ forever wasn't going to last. I didn't want to waste time being angry or unhappy by things in life. I wanted to embrace everything with a smile and open arms, but things aren't always that easy, and you don't always get your way. That's life, I guess.

I don't know how long I stood in Jacob's arms before the tears finally stopped falling. Neither of us said anything throughout the duration of my sob-fest. It felt better that way. I didn't want to pull Jacob into my defective family life. What good would that do? It would only push him to realize that being around me wouldn't always be easy. Not everything in life could be effortless.

The silence eventually came to an end, though. Jacob continuously asked what was wrong and what he could do to help. I wasn't sure what to tell him.

'I understand if you think I'm a freak.' I said into his chest, my voice muffled by his skin.

His hands moved from being linked behind my back, to my shoulders where he pushed me away from his chest lightly. 'I don't think you're a freak. I just wish I knew what was upsetting you.'

More tears formed in my eyes, I could feel them there – stinging. 'Ethan and Sophie adopted a kid.' I said, angrily wiping my tears on the sleeve of my sweatshirt. 'That's not fair. I mean, Ethan could barely act like a father to _me_. His _only_ blood child – and now he's adopted another one. It was bad enough when it was just Jayden.'

'They didn't tell you about Arista?' My eyes snapped from the ground to meet his.

'You knew?' I hissed. 'Was I the only one that _didn't _know? Was it supposed to be some sort of surprise? Because I didn't find _any_ pleasure in it at all.'

Jacob frowned lightly. 'Kinley, I don't think your dad did this to upset you. Sophie can't have children. After the complications with Jayden, the doctors told her that she couldn't have more. That's why they adopted.'

Was that supposed to make it all better? Since the wife he left his _real_ family for couldn't have children, they were going to become Angelina and Brad Pitt and adopt millions of babies in need. _Cool_. 'This is selfish to say, but I don't care right now. He shouldn't have agreed to let me stay if he was going to be adopting babies. None of this would have happened if he hadn't left in the first place. We would probably still be a happy family back in California. A happy, _whole_ family.'

'If none of this happened, then we wouldn't have met each other. Everything happens for a reason, Kils.' Jacob said softly, a small smile forming on his face. _Kils? Alright, he can call me that. _I thought, a smile threatening to appear on my face. 'Let's get you home, okay? It's late.'I wiped my eyes again, frowning at the black mess on my sleeves. 'C'mon.' Jacob said, taking my left hand in his.

His hand was so warm. _Jacob_ was so warm – always. 'I think you have a fever.' I mumbled, reaching up with my right hand to touch his forehead.

'Nah, I feel fine.' He insisted.

His forehead was like fire to the touch – it was alarming. 'No, Jacob, I think you need to see a doctor. You're really hot.'

'Thanks, the feeling is mutual.' Jacob said with a smirk.

His comment shut my mouth like duct tape. My face suddenly felt hot and I knew I was blushing like crazy. 'That's not what I meant. Well – you're _that,_ too – but.. What I meant was–'

'You'll hurt yourself. I was just kidding around.' Jacob said proudly, tugging me to his side so he could wrap an arm around my shoulder. 'I'll walk you back, and I want you to call me in the morning, okay?' I handed him my cell phone and he quickly put his number in and handed it back to me. 'Don't forget.'

Like I could forget even if I _wanted_ to. My mind had been Jacob 24/7 lately. He was _all_ I thought about when I wasn't fighting with Ethan or thinking about how angry I was at Mom for sending me to Washington. I couldn't be _too_ mad at her, though. She inevitably helped me find Jacob – though she had no idea she was doing it, it still meant something.

Jacob stood with me outside of Ethan's home for twenty minutes before he sternly urged me to go inside and get some sleep. 'Kinley, it's 3 AM. You need to go inside and get some sleep, okay?'

I shook my head. 'It's 3 AM.' I repeated, 'Doesn't that say something, Jacob? They don't want me here anyways, or they would have gone looking for me. Instead, they're probably wrapped up in their expensive goose-down blankets sleeping on their Tempurpedic's.'

'I don't think that's true.' Jacob said just as the front door opened.

Was he _always_ right? Ethan was standing on the front porch now with his arm around Sophie's shoulders; they were both still dressed and had coffee mugs in their hands. 'Please come inside, Kinley.' I tensed under Jacob's arm and regrettably stepped out from under his warmth. I took a few solemn steps towards my father and then looked back at Jacob. He held his thumb and pinky out and put them to his ear like a phone – giving me a reminder to call him in the morning.

'Thank you for finding her, Jacob. I owe you.'

_Sigh_. There he was, doing my father's dirty work. I watched him nod and walk down the road – my eyes never leaving him until he disappeared in the darkness. Ethan and Sophie were still on the porch, watching me. I could feel their eyes on me; burning like hot coals.

'I don't want to talk.' I growled, walking right passed them into the house. I hurried to my room and locked the doors. It was becoming a ritual.

I pulled off my sweatshirt and took off my t-shirt and walked into the bathroom. There, I took of my shoes and set them in the sink and then dropped my shorts to the floor. I placed my hands on either side of the sink and then looked into the mirror. The girl looking back at me wasn't familiar; she didn't look anything like me. I guessed it had been a while since I looked in a mirror.

Her blonde hair was a tangled mess down her back instead of the flowing curls I used to see. She looked much too thin to be me – the skin was clinging to her bones – especially in the face. Black smudges swirled in with the light brown freckles sprinkled over her cheeks and nose where there was a little diamond stud in the left side, and tear streaks ran through the black. She was a mess, a complete and _utter_ mess. I frowned; she frowned. I blinked; she blinked. She and I were the same person. Her icy blue eyes stared right back at me with intensity. I felt nervous looking at her, so I quickly stepped away from the sink and turned the shower on.

Once the water was hot, I stepped inside and pulled the glass door shut. The water felt good rolling down my body in thick streams. It almost reminded me of the tears I had cried against Jacob's chest. I was all cried-out now, or so I thought. A soft whimper escaped my lips and I felt my eyes start to sting again. _Traitorous tears_. I thought as I lowered myself to the shower floor.

I sat there for a while, lazily washing and conditioning my hair while I thought. Things were about to get a lot harder.

I don't remember what time I fell asleep, but I woke up with puffy eyes and a sore body. My throat hurt – probably from crying so much – and my eyes were sensitive to the light now flowing in through my curtained windows. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and I dug through my blankets and pillows for my phone. When I found it, I opened my contact book and looked through the names until I found Jacob's name; titled "Jake."

I pressed the call button and fell back onto the bed, eyes closed.

'_Hello?_' His voice sounded better every time I heard it.

'Hey, Jacob.' My voice cracked slightly. I grabbed the water bottle off my nightstand and unscrewed the cap before taking a large drink.

'_Did you just wake up, sleepy head?_' He asked, blowing into the phone.

I smiled. 'Yeah, I guess.' I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It was 2:34 in the afternoon. 'Long night.' I said, feeling embarrassed

It was quiet for a moment. '_How are you feeling now?_' Jacob finally asked.

How was I feeling now? I thought for a minute. _Well, my eyes feel like I accidentally splashed acid in them, my throat feels like I swallowed a cactus, and my body is so sore that I might actually decide to never walk again. _'Better. Did you get enough sleep?'

'_Yeah, I slept pretty good, Kils._' I smiled. My new official nickname. '_I have to do some stuff for my dad. I'll call you or send you a text later, okay?_'

'Kay.' I frowned slightly. We said our goodbyes and I waited until I was sure he was gone before I tucked my phone under my pillow.

I sighed. Today wasn't going to be a good day. If anything, today was probably going to be worse than the day I first came to Ethan's. I couldn't bring myself to climb out of bed just yet, so I rested my head on the pillows once more and closed my eyes for a few minutes. But those few minutes turned into a few hours and I woke up sometime around seven. Oddly enough, no one had knocked on my door – or if they had, I didn't hear them – and the house seemed quiet.

Pushing myself out of bed, I made a quick trip into the bathroom to check my hair and then unlocked my doors for the first time all day. The house was quiet, but not empty. My father's car was parked in exactly the same place as the previous night – which meant he skipped work. I took each step slowly and carefully – so I didn't make noise – and stopped just outside my father's study when I heard his voice.

'Madeline, you don't understand. She hates it here. I'm not trying to send her away, but at least let her come back for a few weeks.' _If that's not a slap in the face, then I don't know what is._ I thought sadly to myself. This conversation was inevitable, but, wasn't it what I had wanted? Wasn't that my plan in the first place? To drive him insane so that he would send me home to Mom and Travis? Suddenly my intentions weren't making sense.

He growled frustratedly and I heard him shove his chair back. 'You don't have the _time_? I may have left and not been the best father that I could have been, but I wouldn't _never_ say that I don't have time for my own daughter!' He yelled. I swallowed hard as I felt the hot tears beginning to sting my eyes again. I put a hand over my mouth to muffle my sharp intake of breath. 'Okay, Madeline. Thank you for being so mature. I hope you _really_ enjoy your cruise with Travis.' _Sarcasm_. I guess it ran in the family.

'She doesn't just need her father to care, she needs her mother to actually give a shit, too! Do you know how long they gave her, Madeline?' _Pause._ 'Do you know how long? Eighteen, Madeline, _that's_ how long! Two years! Maybe you _need_ to have the time, because she doesn't have a lot of it.'

I was already through the door when he hung up and I ran straight into his arms with tears running down my face. I couldn't fight him any longer. I had missed him more than anything when he left, and then I resented him when I finally saw him again, and now my mother was resenting me. 'How messed up can our family get, Dad?' I cried through gasps for air.

'Our family isn't messed up, Kinley. We have our problems, just like every other family.' He replied.

I shook my head. 'No. You and Sophie don't have problems.'

He sighed, 'We have our issues, we just choose to keep them private and not let others be involved.'

'I want to be involved.' I sniffed, 'I want to be a part of the family. I want to know when Jayden is getting grounded. I want to know when you and Sophie are mad at each other. I want to know when you're planning to adopt the cutest baby from France. I want to know that things are going to be okay.'

'Things _are_ going to be okay, Kinley. I promise.'

'Not everything is going to be okay.' I told him.

It was quiet again. 'I know, Kinley. I know.'

**Okay, this chapter was a little depressing, but necessary. Things will cheer up next chapter :) I also apologize because this took a little longer than I hoped AND it's pretty short. I'm going to try and lengthen the chapters, though. They always seem long on my computer and then when I update them, they're small xD Sorry!**


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